Miss USA Cheslie Kryst to posthumously publish a book with the help of her mother
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History-making pageant queen Cheslie Kryst was at work on a book before her tragic death in 2022.
The late Cheslie Kryst made history in 2019 when she became the oldest Miss USA to be crowned at the age of 28. Winning the title with that distinction was an achievement she both prided herself on and was tormented by, as she revealed in a stirring essay about the experience and the pressure of ageism for Allure in 2021.
That same year, Kryst announced plans to publish a book to expand upon her personal story. However, in a startling and tragic turn of events, she took her own life on Jan. 30, 2022, after a longstanding struggle with depression.
Now, with the help of her mother, April Simpkins, Kryst’s dreams of becoming a published author will finally be realized. “By the Time You Read This: The Space Between Cheslie Kryst’s Smile and Mental Illness” is slated for release by Forefront Books (an imprint of Simon & Schuster) on April 23.
Speaking with “Extra,” where Kryst worked as a correspondent, Simpkins said, “Fulfilling her final wishes feels like I still get to be in mommy mode with her. And it has been a work of love.”
She added, “This means everything to me.”
According to the publisher, “By the Time You Read This” has been written in two parts. The first is by Kryst, detailing her journey to success. The second part was written by Simpkins, who, picking up from the day of her daughter’s death, continues the story from her perspective. Proceeds from the book will go toward funding the Cheslie C. Kryst Foundation, which, according to Forefront, is being founded in her honor.
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“For most people who saw her on TV or saw her at events, [Kryst] was smiling, and she was bubbly, and she was happy, and that was her true self,” Simpkins explained to “Extra.”
She continued, “But there was still a lot of pain that she felt, and I do feel like the book stands right between that place of what people saw in her smile and her private battle with depression.”
If you or someone you know is considering suicide or self-harm, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988. You can also text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.
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